This is some good info but I'm up in the air about somethings. Like the above poster, I used to feed grapes all the time. The dogs love them. I talked to the vet and he said that grapes are not toxic to dogs. So I'm alittle between as of right now on somethings.

I have been researching the safety of giving Grape Seed extract to dogs. I could only locate one article....... However, I do know that grape seed extract is only from the seed of the grapes and the flesh is not used. It is typically a by product from wine makers

Grape seed extract (GSE) (Vitis Vinnifera) is an extract from grape seeds from red grapes. Grape seeds have a high content of compounds called oligomeric proanthocyanidins— better known as OPCs, which are potent antioxidants. Because of their simple chemical structure, OPCs are readily absorbed into the bloodstream.

On the Safety of Grape Seed Extract: Grapes and raisins have been of much debate in the past few years. Here is a short quote from the Veterinary Information Network board posts ”Ingestion of grapes or raisins has been associated with acute renal failure in dogs. Anecdotal evidence suggests that cats may also be affected… Being a fructose sugar, it is quickly eliminated through the kidneys where it reaches high tissue levels. It then causes a certain cell “power house” called the mitochondria to open and allow calcium to enter.” This causes the mitochondria to stop functioning, therefore the death of the cell. “Recent unpublished data indicates that the toxic component is water soluble, and within the flesh of the grape/raisin, not the seed. Thus the current thinking is that grape seed may be safe to use.”

Grape seed is often found with antioxidant supplements used for human cancer treatments. The seed induces the cell deaths of highly replicating cancer cells. There was a study done on men with prostate carcinoma which showed approximately 90% inhibition of the pathways that induces the growth of the cancer cells.

The flavanoids in the seed are known to reduce inflammation, and support the immune system particularly with respiratory issues, allergies, and skin problems. It has been used in cats and dogs successfully without any reported problems.

bahamutt99 wrote:Originally posted by Pitmomma. Thought everybody should see this.

Items to avoid Reasons to avoid

Alcoholic beverages Can cause intoxication, coma, and death.

Baby food Can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. (Please see onion below.) Can also result in nutritional deficiencies, if fed in large amounts.

Bones from fish, poultry, or other meat source Can cause obstruction or eslaceration of the digestive system.

Cat food Generally too high in protein and fats.

Chocolate, coffee, tea, and other caffeine Contain caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can be toxic and affect the heart and nervous systems. Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms of chocolate. A 10-kilogram dog can be seriously affected if it eats a quarter of a 250gm packet of cocoa powder or half of a 250gm block of cooking chocolate. These forms of chocolate contain ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Thus, a chocolate mud cake could be a real health risk for a small dog. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog unwell.

Citrus oil extracts Can cause vomiting.

Fat trimmings Can cause pancreatitis.

Grapes and raisins Contain an unknown toxin, which can damage the kidneys.

Human vitamin supplements containing iron Can damage the lining of the digestive system and be toxic to the other organs including the liver and kidneys.

Large amounts of liver Can cause Vitamin A toxicity, which affects muscles and bones.

Macadamia nuts Contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the digestive and nervous systems and muscle.

Marijuana Can depress the nervous system, cause vomiting, and changes in the heart rate.

Milk and other dairy products Some adult dogs and cats do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. This can result in diarrhea. Lactose-free milk products are available for pets.

Moldy or spoiled food, garbage Can contain multiple toxins causing vomiting and diarrhea and can also affect other organs.

Mushrooms Can contain toxins, which may affect multiple systems in the body, cause shock, and result in death.

Onions and garlic (raw, cooked, or powder) Contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. Cats are more susceptible than dogs. Garlic is less toxic than onions.

Persimmons Seeds can cause intestinal obstruction and enteritis.

Pits from peaches and plums Can cause obstruction of the digestive tract.

Potato, rhubarb, and tomato leaves; potato and tomato stems Contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems. This is more of a problem in livestock.

Raw eggs Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems. Raw eggs may also contain Salmonella.

Raw fish Can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death. More common if raw fish is fed regularly.

Salt If eaten in large quantities it may lead to electrolyte imbalances.

String Can become trapped in the digestive system; called a "string foreign body."

Sugary foods Can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly diabetes mellitus.

Table scraps (in large amounts) Table scraps are not nutritionally balanced. They should never be more than 10% of the diet. Fat should be trimmed from meat; bones should not be fed.

Tobacco Contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. Can result in rapid heart beat, collapse, coma, and death.

Yeast dough Can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

ETA:

White chocolate: 200 ounces per pound of body weight. It takes 250 pounds of white chocolate to cause signs of poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds for a 10-pound dog.

Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. The average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10 pound dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level.

Sweet cocoa: 0.3 ounces per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet cocoa is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 pound for a 10-pound dog.

Baking chocolate: 0.1 ounce per pound body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers' chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.

I printed this list, added the other info and stuck it up on my fridge. Not just for ME, but for my friends who come and hang out and like to feed my dog! That drives me crazy!!!!!!

Vet told me to mix a raw egg in with her food (sooks was underweight), and I put milk in with it too (like doggy cerial) course she does have gas so perhaps I should stop that. So apple sauce is good? I freeze it and give her sauce cubes (loves it!) how about yogurt?

sookies_mama wrote:Vet told me to mix a raw egg in with her food (sooks was underweight), and I put milk in with it too (like doggy cerial) course she does have gas so perhaps I should stop that. So apple sauce is good? I freeze it and give her sauce cubes (loves it!) how about yogurt?

Apple sauce? It would depend. If you're talking "regular" apple sauce then your tossing about 27 grams of pure sugar carbs per half cup. There are plenty of sugar free apple sauces out there which would be great. Or just chop up an apple, freeze the sections, and presto.

Having gas sounds like a reaction to the lactic acid in milk. AKA lactose intolerant (which a lot of dogs are). Yogurt would fall under the "milk" section above. They do make non-dairy yogurt that still has all the essential bacteria, but does not contain lactose, as it is not made with milk.

Sugar free and organic apple sauce, I quite with the milk, and the gas has improved,still using yogurt, but mixed with stuff, and the gas has improved. Thanks for the tip about the yogurt tho! I just started the vegan thing and was really bummed about giving it up! Just ordered a whole case of pumpkin for dog digestion, looking forward to stuffing stuff with it too!

FXSTBI wrote:I think my dogs would go hungry if I followed that list. I guess you could consider me irresponsible. I actually give them a lot of cooked meat. On a lighter note, the chocolate thing, sometimes I think is a bunch of BS, not that I don't follow it but we also have a minature dachsund and this dog is still alive. Now i don't willingly give my dogs chocolate but on two occasions I really thought she would be dead. You know those World's finest chocolate bars they sell for fundraisers she ate three in one night to include most of the foil and wrapper. One year I got a homemade chocolate cake fo my birthday. My wife and daughter took me to dinner and we didn't have dessert since I had a birthday cake at home on the kitchen table ( it was in a fancy tupper ware container) We came home to find chocolate footprints all over the house and less than a slice of cake left. She was only about 9 lbs when both of these instances occured. The candy bars were my fault since I left them on the coffee table but I still don't know how she got on the kitchen table and took the lid off the cake.

The chocolate in both the bars and the cake was unlikely to be the un-sweetened baking type. The toxin in chocolate (theobromine) is from the cocoa...most commercial chocolate cars and cakes don't actually have that much real cocoa. I've seen chocolate poisoning before...not pretty.

sarascure wrote:so this may be a stupid question.....but if you smoke pot in the same room as a pit, what exactly are you doing to his system? im not an idiot, i just want it clarified so i can have info to pass along to someone who doesnt think it affects the dog....

I have had no issue what-so-ever with my dog being around me when I smoke marijuana... other then him being very relaxed and cuddly he has never shown any sign of toxicity.